Checkrein.



B. J. GRANT.

GHEOKRBIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 19, 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENSON JONES GRANT, OF GALENA, KANSAS.

OI-IECKREIN.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENSON J. GRANT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Galena, in the county of Cherokee and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Checkrein, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to check reins and is more particularly designedas an improvement upon the structure described and claimed in Patent No.897,977, issued to Benson J. Grant on September 8th, 1908.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterhaving a spring whereby the check rein may be maintained taut under allconditions, simple and eflicient means being employed whereby the pullexerted by the spring can be varied as desired.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is compactin construction and which will not readily get out of order becauseconstructed of but few parts.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the pre-- ferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :-Figure l is a side elevation of the check reinembodying the present improvements, one of the side disks being brokenaway to show the notched holding bracket in elevation. Fig. 2 is asection on line A-B Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates anordinary saddletree having an opening 2 in the top thereof for thereception of the angular portion 3 of a screw 4:, said angular portionbeing disposed in a correspondingly shaped opening 5 in a base-plate 6which rests upon the.

saddle-tree and has a standard 7 terminating in a disk 8 in which isarranged an annular series of apertures 9. Interposed between thebase-plate 6 and the angular head 10 of the screw 4 is a forked plate 11formed at the lower end of the standard '12 which terminates at itsupper end in a disk 13 corresponding with the disk 8 but which is notprovided with a series of apertures. A spindle 14 extends through thecenters of the two disks 13 and 8, and keyed or other- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910. Serial No. 484,517.

wise secured to one end of this spindle by means of a key 15 or the likeis a revoluble head 15 having a stud 16 extending inwardly from itsinner face and designed to be seated in any one of the openings 9referred to. The other end of the spindle 14 is screwthreaded and isengaged by a head 1.7 which acts as a nut and is designed, when screwedupon the spindle, to clamp the two disks 8 and 13 between the heads 15and 17 Revolnbly mounted on the spindle let and between the disks 8 and13 is a drum 18 within which is arranged a spiral spring 19, one end ofwhich is secured to the spindle 1 1-, while the other end is secured tothe drum. A check-strap 20 is secured at one end to the outer face ofthe drum and this strap is provided with the usual snap hook 21, asshown in Fig. 1.

As shown especially in Fig. 1, the base plate 6 is preferably providedwith upturned flanges 22 designed to lap the side edges of the forkedplate 11, and thus prevent the two plates from swinging laterally withrelation to each other. It will of course be understood that when thestrap 20 is unwound from the drum 18 the stress of the spring 19 will beincreased because the spindle 14 is held against rotation by the stud16, which projects from the head 15 and into one of the openings 9 inthe disk 8. Should it be desired to reduce or increase the resistanceoffered by the spring to the movement of the check-strap 20 the head 17can be unscrewed from the spindle 14: and said spindle shifted a shortdistance longitudinally within the disks 8 and 13 so as to disengage thestud 16 from the notch in which it is seated. Said head 15 and thespindle 141 can then be turned in a desired direction, and after theproper adjustment has been obtained, the stud 16 can be replaced in oneof the openings 9 and held therein by tightening the head 17 upon thespindle. It will be seen that the means for securing this adjustment ofthe spring is very simple and can be conveniently manipulated. There isno danger of the parts slipping out of place after they are once adjusted, because it is first necessary to loosen the head 17, and thiscannot be accomplished accidentally, because said head 17 normallycontacts throughout the extent of its inner face with the adjoining disk13, and this frictional engagement is suflicient to prevent anyinadvertent turning of the head.

it is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in theconstruc tion and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described includingseparable standards having integral disks, means for detachably securingthe standards against independent movement, one of the disks having aseries of apertures therein, a spindle mounted for rotation within thedisks, a drum revolubly mounted upon the spindle and between the disks,a coiled spring within the drum and secured at its ends to the drum andspindle respectively, a head secured to and revoluble with one end ofthe spindle, said head having a projecting portion normally seatedwithin one of the apertures to hold the spindle and head againstrotation in either direction, means engaging the other end of thespindle for holding the spindle and head in locked position, and aflexible element secured to and normally wrapped around the drum.

2. A device of the class described including an apertured base platehaving opposed upstanding flanges, a forked plate slidably mounted uponthe base plate and between the flanges, means within the fork and theaperture for binding the plates together, standards upstanding from therespective plates, each standard having an integral disk, one of thedisks being provided with a series of apertures, a spindle mounted forrotation within the disks, a head secured to and movable with one end ofthe spindle, a projection upon the head and normally seated within oneof the apertures to hold the spindle and head against rotation in eitherdirection, means upon the other end of the spindle and bearing againstthe adjoining disk to hold the said projection in engagement with theapertured disk, a drum mounted for rotation upon the spindle, a coiledspring within the drum and secured at its ends to the drum and thespindle respectively, and a flexible element secured to and normallywrapped around the drum.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENSON JONES GRANT.

\Vitnesses R. A. CoLns, H. E. Moonn.

